The present invention relates generally to a wire termination device for establishing an electrical connection with an insulated electrical connector. More particularly, the invention is an insulation displacement connector having a stuffer adapted for movement in a direction substantially parallel to the insulated electrical conductor.
Electrical circuits, and in particular telecommunications networks, make extensive use of insulation displacement connectors to quickly and easily establish electrical connections with insulated electrical conductors. An insulation displacement connector typically includes a blade portion having a slot defining a pair of opposed, sharp edges that cut through the insulation of the insulated electrical conductor to establish electrical continuity between the insulation displacement connector and the electrical conductor. A stuffer exerts a mechanical advantage on the insulated electrical conductor to move the conductor into engagement with the insulation displacement connector. In telecommunications networks, insulation displacement connectors and stuffers are typically disposed within wire termination devices, such as line modules, protected terminal devices (PTDs), and station protectors, that establish the necessary electrical connections throughout the network. Electrical connections need to be established with, for example, the service provider (also referred to as xe2x80x9cTelephone Companyxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cTelcoxe2x80x9d) wires, the subscriber (also referred to a xe2x80x9cdropxe2x80x9d) wires, and jumper wires. A great number of wire termination devices are often housed in distribution enclosures, such as network interface devices (NIDs) and building entrance terminals (BETs), affixed to a wall of a building that have significant size and space limitations. As a result, the wire termination devices housed within the enclosure must be designed to be as small as possible, while still providing unobstructed access for a technician to establish the necessary electrical connections during both initial configuration and subsequent reconfiguration, for example, in the field.
It is known to provide an angled face on the stuffer so that a wire insertion channel formed in the wire termination device is readily visible to a technician when establishing an electrical connection between the insulation displacement connector and the insulated electrical conductor. The angled face of the stuffer permits the technician to clearly view the wire insertion channel as the insulated electrical conductor is inserted into the wire termination device. As previously mentioned, a mechanical advantage is necessary to move the insulated electrical conductor into contact with the opposed, sharp edges of the blade portion of the insulation displacement connector. A substantial mechanical advantage may be required to force the insulated electrical conductor into electrical contact with the insulation displacement connector, particularly when the conductor is a heavier gauge wire, such as 18 AWG copper. Accordingly, the mechanical advantage is typically provided by a screw that drives a movable portion of the stuffer against the insulated electrical conductor until the sharp edges of the blade portion of the insulation displacement connector cut through the insulation and the make electrical contact with the conductor. The stuffer screw is preferably positioned perpendicular to the insulated electrical conductor to obtain the greatest mechanical advantage. However, due to the aforementioned size and space limitations of the enclosure, unobstructed access to the stuffer screw and optimum visibility of the wire insertion channel is achieved when the wire insertion channel and the stuffer screw are both oriented in the line of sight of the technician. Heretofore, it has not been possible to position the wire insertion channel and the stuffer screw parallel to one another such that both are oriented in the line of sight of the technician.
Accordingly, it is apparent a need exists for a wire termination device that provides unobstructed access to the stuffer screw and optimum visibility of the wire insertion channel. It is further apparent that a particular need exists for an insulation displacement connector having a stuffer screw adapted for movement in a direction parallel to the insulated electrical conductor to thereby establish an electrical connection between the insulation displacement connector and the conductor.
A wire termination device is provided for establishing an electrical connection with an insulated electrical conductor. In one aspect of the invention, the wire termination device includes a first member and a second member that is movable relative to the first member between a first, unbiased position and a second, biased position. The second member includes means for stripping a portion of the insulation from the insulated electrical conductor when the second member moves from the first position to the second position. Accordingly, the second member is electrically disconnected from the insulated electrical conductor in the first position and is electrically connected both to the insulated electrical conductor and to the first member in the second position. Preferably, the means for stripping is a slot formed adjacent one end of the second member that defines a pair of opposed, sharp edges for stripping the insulation from the insulated electrical conductor.
In a preferred embodiment, the first member is fixed to the housing of the wire termination device by a conductive fastener. The second member includes a leg portion depending from and resiliently attached to the first member and a blade portion extending outwardly from the leg portion. The wire termination device further includes a stuffer having a cam surface that engages the second member. The stuffer is adapted for movement in a direction substantially parallel to the insulated electrical conductor and the second member is adapted for movement substantially perpendicular to the insulated electrical conductor. As the stuffer is moved downwardly, the cam surface forces the blade portion of the second member into engagement with the insulated electrical conductor. As the stuffer is moved upwardly, the blade portion disengages from the insulated electrical conductor and is returned to the first, unbiased position.
In another preferred embodiment, the first member includes a base portion, a leg portion depending upwardly from the base portion, and a blade supporting portion depending outwardly from the leg portion. The wire termination device further includes a guide attached to the first member. The guide is electrically connected to the first member and to the second member and the second member is movable relative to the guide between the first position and the second position. Preferably, the guide defines an elongate opening for receiving the second member therethrough and a pair of upper contacts disposed within the opening for slidingly engaging the blade portion of the second member. Similarly, the first member includes a lower contact for slidingly engaging the blade portion of the second member. As previously described, the wire termination device further includes a stuffer having a cam surface that engages the second member. The stuffer is adapted for movement in a direction substantially parallel to the insulated electrical conductor and the second member is adapted for movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the insulated electrical conductor. As the stuffer is moved downwardly, the cam surface forces the blade portion of the second member into engagement with the insulated electrical conductor. As the stuffer is moved upwardly, the blade portion disengages from the insulated electrical conductor and is returned to the first, unbiased position.
In another aspect of the invention, a wire termination device is provided for establishing an electrical connection with an insulated electrical conductor. The wire termination device includes a housing defining an internal cavity and having a wire insertion channel formed therein that extends into the cavity. A portion of the insulated electrical conductor is disposed within the wire insertion channel. An insulation displacement corrector disposed within the cavity includes a first member fixed to the housing and a second member movable relative to the first member between a first, unbiased position and a second, biased position. The second member has a slot formed therein adjacent one end that defines a pair of opposed, sharp edges for stripping a portion of the insulation from the insulated electrical conductor when the second member moves from the first position to the second position. In the first position, the second member is electrically disconnected from the insulated electrical conductor. In the second position, the second member is electrically connected to the insulated electrical conductor and to the first member. The wire termination device further includes a stuffer disposed within the cavity for moving the second member between the first position and the second position. The stuffer is adapted for movement in a direction substantially parallel to the insulated electrical conductor and the second member is adapted for movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the insulated electrical conductor.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for establishing an electrical connection between an insulation displacement connector and an insulated electrical conductor. The insulation displacement connector is disposed within an internal cavity defined by the housing of a wire termination device. The insulation displacement connector includes a first member and a second member movable relative to the first member between a first, unbiased position and a second, biased position. The second member has a slot formed therein adjacent one end that defines a pair of opposed, sharp edges for stripping a portion of the insulation from the insulated electrical conductor when the second member moves from the first position to the second position. In the first position, the second member is electrically disconnected from the insulated electrical conductor. In the second position, the second member is electrically connected to the insulated electrical conductor and to the first member. The wire termination device further includes a stuffer for moving the second member between the first position and the second position.
In a preferred embodiment, the method includes the first step of positioning the insulated electrical conductor in a wire insertion channel formed in the housing and extending into the cavity defined by the housing of the wire termination device. The method further includes the second step of moving the second member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the insulated electrical conductor from the first position to the second position. In another preferred embodiment, the method includes the first step of positioning the insulated electrical conductor in a wire insertion channel formed in the housing and extending into the cavity defined by the housing of the wire termination device. The alternative preferred method further includes the second step of moving the stuffer in a direction substantially parallel to the insulated electrical conductor so that the second member moves from the first position to the second position.